Apparently, all the good names are taken. But this tin-topped, 295-bhp Boxster doesn't lack for goodness in terms of style, handling and acceleration. We hook up our test gear and see what she'll do
— By Patrick Hong

Road Test

If James Bond ever falls on hard times, he won't have to pawn his Walther PPK to drive this relatively affordable Aston. It's priced to compete with the Porsche Turbo, and is as quick as the DB9 — By Shaun Bailey

Pace, grace and cargo space...they can all coexist, as proven by these muscle-bound haulers that transform family transport into fire-breathing objects of lust — By Mike Monticello, Dennis Simanaitis & Kim Wolfkill

First Drives

That wire-wheeled Brit from Malvern Link that just smoked your Porsche Boxster (in a straight line, anyway)? It's the born-again Morgan Roadster, now with 225 bhp from a Ford 3.0-liter V-6 — By Dennis Simanaitis

Questionable move: giving the WRX a grille that resembles the B9 Tribeca's. Good call: a multitude of mechanical changes, the most prominent being a torquier, 230-bhp 2.5-liter flat-4 for the base WRX — By Andrew Bornhop

Think of the new, larger Passat as Phaeton Lite instead of Jetta Cum Laude, as this sumptuously appointed Volkswagen offers upmarket luxury and power, especially with the 3.6 narrow-angle V-6 — By Matt DeLorenzo

Features

Purists may recoil in horror, but the author has had his Enzo's doors neatly clipped off to better enjoy the driving experience. And drive it he does, as his second set of Bridgestones will attest — By Richard Losee

Despite some teething problems, the odd creak and rattle and an engine that suffered death by drowning (no fault of the car's), our Mini was the bee's knees when it came to buzzing around town — By Shaun Bailey

Web Exclusives

These station wagons aren't only cool-looking, they're also hot performers. See for yourself in our fast-paced video compilation of the 340-bhp Audi S4 Avant, the 425-bhp Dodge Magnum SRT8 and the 469-bhp Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Sport Wagon, a trio that gives the term "hauling" a whole new meaning.

If there were a salary cap in Grand Prix racing, the Minardi Formula 1 team would most likely be the team to beat. Calvin Kim, Online Editor for our sister publication, Cycle World, gained insider access to the little Italian team at this year's United States Grand Prix. His findings? Minardi is better than you think.

Technical

Compressed air in tires is highly overrated, at least when your run-flat picks up a nail. And these rubber marvels are ever-improving, now in summer, winter and all-season varieties — By — Dennis Simanaitis

Columns

Handling dynamics of cars with engines amidships have advanced mightily since the Maserati Merak. Porsche does especially well with the Boxster and, now, the Cayman S — By Thos L. Bryant

Our Editor-at-Large gets in a heated scrap with Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber, not ensconced in Formula 1 cockpits but astride racing bicycles. Be it 10-speeds or open-wheelers, my money's on Rubens — By Peter Egan

A Witness Protection Program for cars? Henrik Fisker's Latigo CS and Tramonto assume identities far removed from their Mercedes and BMW origins. Plus, the Viper Coupe and early Frankfurt faves — Edited by Mike Monticello

The drag-racing slick as a continuously variable transmission, exhaust pulses as downforce, SAE Certified Horsepower explained, and why London motorists can expect an even greater Pounding — By Dennis Simanaitis